Steering-post lock



July '135 1926. 1,592,088

' c. N. FAIRCHILD STEERING POST LOCK Filed Oct. 18 1923 www www SWMDL a@Q4 Patented July 13, 1926;

UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES N. FABOI-IILID, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO FAIRCHILD LOCKCOR- PORATION, F THE COUNTY OF NEW CASTLE, DELAWARE.

STEERING-POST LOCK.

-Applieation filed October 18, 1923.

ment of the steering post rod and in which acci-dental locking of thewheel is prevented.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a steeringpostvlock in which 'the steering wheels of the automobile. may beturned` at an angle to the center line of the car and the device so setthat the wheels will be locked upon being turned parallel to thelongitudinal center line of the car,l

but in which the wheels will not be locked until that position isreached.

In the drawings,-

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the loclr and illustrating a portion ofthe steering post structure.

Figure 2 is a side elevation.

Fig. 3 is section on line 33 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 4 is a. section taken through the axes of the main shaft andlocking pin.

5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

The housing is composed of two sections 10 and 11 having laterallyextending ears 12 which meet with no space therebetween and are held insuch position by scre-ws 14 which are hardened except at the lrerfed endwhich is left soft in accordance with usual practice in order' that itmay be removed fiush with the outer surface of the section 11 of thehousing. The major portion of the larger member 10 of the housing issubstantially cubical and is bored at one side to receive a pin plungertype lock, the end of the barrel being shown as at 15. The outercircular face of the lock barrel 15 may be flush with the wall 16 of thehousing or, if the periphery of the lock barrel is beveled off as isoften done and as is illustrated in Fig. 1 the edge of the cylindricalportion of 'the barrel may be made flush with the wall 16 and the slightconical portion 17 may eX- tend outwardly therefrom making a slightlymore pleasing construction and yet not affording hold for a wrench orother tool.

' Substantially centrally of the steering post 20 the front face 21 ofthe housing is bored to receive a member which for convenience ishereinafter termed the cartridge and is numbered 22 on the drawings,this member being a cylinder of the same material as the rest of thehousing and permanently secured thereto in any desired Serial No.669,422.

manner preferably by driving a pair of pins through the members 10 and22 of the housing. The cartridge is counterbored deeply as at 25 toreceive a piston 27 whichis held outwardly by a spring 28 within thelimits permitted by the pin 29 carried by the piston 27 and riding in aslot 30 in the cartridge. The locking pin proper, which eX- tends intothe steering post rod in the usual manner, is numbered 33 in thedrawings and is integral with the piston 27. lA portion of the rear orinner surface of the cartridge isV removed leaving a plane face 35 toenable the lever 37 fast to the cylinder of the spring pin lock toengage readily the projecting end of the pin 29 to force it back intothe end of the cartridge against the tension of the spring 28.

When the key is inserted in the lock and the cylinder revolved to causethe lock bolt lever 37 to withdraw the steering rod locking pin 33 apawl 40 engages the outer or rear face 41 ofthe major diameter portionof the piston and holds it in retracted position. This pawl or catch ispivoted to the cartridge as by the pivot pin 42 and is urged into pistonlocking position by a small coil spring 43 located in a bore in thecartridge.v At the end of the pawl nearest the spring 43 there is asmall projection 45 which, when the steering post locking pin 33 ismoved forwardly or inwardly, projects beyond the periphery of thecartridge 22 and' engages a releasing pin 50 moving the headed end 52thereof outwardly as far as the central projection 53 on the releasingpin will permit Y To comply with the requirements of the underwritersthe releasing pin 50 is prevented from being moved to locking positionby a small catch 55 pivoted as at 56 to the flat side wall of thehousing and urged by a spring 57 into engagement with the head 52 orstem 50 of the releasing pin. Movement of this catch to free thereleasing pin to allow it to be pushed inward is limited by a small stoplug 58 in accordance with common practice. By moving the larger end 59of the catch 55 b v hand against the tension of the spring 57 the pin 50may be pushed inward to engage the projection 45 on the pawl 40 torelease the piston and locking pin and to allow the spring 28 to pushthese parts into locking position or at least against the steering postrod if the wheels are setet'anfangle to the Lbody. .The steering-:postrod'isbored to receive 'snugly .the pin 33 and as soon after locking .as.the

Wheels are brought into straiglitahead .posi- 'tion the spring`28`f0rces the pin' the reineinder of its journey honie into theboie inthe steering rod.

That I claim is:

l. In a steering post'locl, -acylinderftype lock having` a lever on thecylinder thereof, a.eartridgexerranged utirightangles to siiid loclnapiston Within saidzcartridge, vu steering-,rod locking `pin carriedbysaid piston, vineens toryieldably resisting movement ot' vltheloolleveito ivithdruivesaid pin,-i puwl foi-engaging theipiston toretainsiime in punloched position, VVineens.operable from the outsideofithe housing to;relefise ssiidpiirrl, :and means for 'preventingaccidental l. mo v ement 'roi1 the last Vmentioned :ineens .2.Inarsteeriiig postflocli, a cylii `lricnl ciiitrid-geliaving u portion ot'its periphery removed to form zi'p'lane surfce, vziplungersiidublymounted in saidl cartridge, a spring; tendine' toseparate theyplunger :and ceriti'idge, Ta pini extending beyond the ifa-"e otfthezplnne surface ofgthecertridge, inem ter engaging said pin tocompress said spring, and 'spring actuating means for vyieLdnbly holdingsaid'.plungerinfsuch' position.

3.1111 1i. 'steering post .locka fe Cartridge having a central'cuvity'nnd aslot leading to 'said cavity, f u spring'ivitliin4saidcavity, air pistonwslidablyf mounted in lsaid zcartridge andengagingsaid springe-spring pressed puivl pivoted iii the caitridgeiindmovable by saidpmvl springto retain the 'pistonin Vspringcompressingposition, and a pro'eclt-ion on said 'puivl extending beyond theperiphery of'tlie cartridge andfoutsideol thcf slot.

Ll. fIn a steering 'post lock, 1a housingliiivingftvvo plane -zices andhavinga boie eX- tending t'ronifeiich rplane tace, :i cylinder i ylockin one of said bores -iind a. cartridge in -the other of said-bores,said cartridge having :i Smooth unbroken faeeliu'sh withthe outer faceof thehousing, 'a ylever on said lock, a steering rod looking pinslidably vineens tor d-isen Yparivl fior hold 'leading-troni theeylindriell portion to luid Vslideblymounted in the curtr ing 'short ofone fuee thereof, ineains lor sc-.

curing seid cartridge in said housing with tliemouth of seid recessdirected toward the steering` rodj spring' pressed bolt Within .seidcartridge adapted to eng-eee smid steermovement.. rofl. :i

ing rod to lool; suine ineens :tor tripp certridge huvii'u;l n. cent lcnvitj.' und i: got

cavity, i; spring; within seid cn i g vsui-1l spi-ine', :i springr p poted in the cartridge :ind newbie bjc, paivl springl to retain thepiston in :Si fg' compressing position, ".1 projection il pun'lentending'beyond the circulnr A ry of the cartridge :1n-il outside oljiliet, u housing' surrounding said piston elo l iid centrul cavity,means in h i; 'roi' retracting snid piston. und

independent ineens manually operable 'troni tl outside ot seid casing'for moving' said pevvl about its pivot to compr-ess the pziivl spring.

T. fn 'a steering post lock, u housing. n bolt thereiin-:i pzivviengaging seid bolli to hold seine in unlocked position, :i ineinberedupted'to strike the puvvl to release the bolt,v and yieldabic meansbarring cont-.ict ot -themeniber with the pavfl.

f8. :The device oi cl-iiini -7 in which iii@ peivl is entirely Aivitliinthe housing und the burringnieans is located on the outside ol' -thehousing-midis insinunlfy controlled.

9. he device of cluiin T in which the p-.iivl

pivote'dgnizinuzilly operated catch.

10. 'The device oi' clziiin 7 in which the bolt, vthepziivl,.':indrthebarring means are f ezieh independently' spring actuated.

CHARLES FriinoiiiL-D.

